Dark secrets
by kklo
Summary: Frank who was calling himself Dr X is rentlessly pursued by the evil general Triuc McDann who was likely the first EVIL martian mouse ever penned down . Another nice collaboration with Ylla, who was not involved when I re-wrote the story slightly.
1. Part I

Dark Secrets, Part 1

Dark Secrets, Part 1  


©1997-00Ludwig Tr. (co-writer: Ylla K)  
(This story is a continuation of "The Threat From Dr. X")  
  
Mars is wellknown. At least in some galaxies around the planetary system we live in.  
There was once a dictator on Mars, at least the first official one. He was called Triuc McDann.  
Due to a couple of mistakes/coincidences/strange events managed this very evil, greedy and at the same time smart   
Martian to insinuate into the government, and in the end take it over completely to put his nasty plans into work.  
The famous martian army was totally under the government's control, i.e. under McDann's control.  
This special afternoon had he called in the best warriors in the army for a special mission. They knew what they were going to do, and whether they liked it or not was impossible to say by looking at them. All disciplinated and stiff.  
The leader walked up to his personal elite-army and inspected them properly, one by one.  
"Soldiers." His chilly voice echoed. "Your mission is to find the earthling Frank Streds and bring him back here, alive. No mercy is shown if you manage to kill him. I will accompany you and lead this mission. Any questions?"  
"No sir!"  
"Good! We know that he is located on an island in the Indian Ocean on the blue-green planet. We're going to travel to Earth with our attack-ships and capture him once and for all. Understood?"  
"**YES SIR!**"  
  


***

  
Frank Streds, former Dr X, woke up early this morning not aware of which day it was, he had lost count months ago.  
He felt very flourishing this day and why shouldn't he feel like that? After was this a warm day, but not sticky hot. Fresh, but not chilly. In other words: a perfect day.  
The sun shone, the sound of the birds and animals was everywhere. Leopard-sharks were resting in the bay, some were very close to the beach and he could see their shadows. They were not dangerous unless you disturbed them. He had swimmed many times with the sharks around, being carefully to not hit any, but they just ignored him and continued the rest in the warm water.  
A seagull dove into the water and came soon up with a big, glittering fish.  
It was indeed a perfect day for all living and Frank was about to have a swim when something odd happened.  
A strange noise broke the whole aura of that very nice morning. It was the noise from flying spaceships and he recognized them immediately.  
Above him, through the clear-blue sky came it roaring in full speed right against the island, so Frank did what everyone probably would do in that situation, he ran inside the forrest and climbed up in a tree, and became almost invisible among the thick branches.  
Shining white and beautiful, was the spaceship which landed the beach. It had sharp contrastes between the black windows and the snow-white body. All details perfectly formed.  
Unfortunally wasn't this the very best time to adore the constructions of some alien genius. Frank was sure that no one from the outer space would come here to only enjoy the peaceful nature. Neither would anyone try to find him to ask if he wanted a cup of coffee.  
A door opened in the spaceship's bottom and a thin stair automatically rolled out.  
Frank immiedately recognized who the mouse who walked outside first of all was.  
"Mr. McDann, we're here."  
"Good", his weird insensitive gaze wandered over the forrest's edge. "So our friend is in here somewhere? Surely, he won't come out without protesting. So, I guess we have to whip him out."  
Another martian nodded agreeing and let the finger fly over a remote control in his left hand. Nothing happened, the martians were standing completely still, as if they were waiting for something.  
Something shining and water-looking suddenly started to stream out of the ship. It looked exactly like mercury.  
The thing came crawling and covered all in its way, including animals and vegetation.  
Four mice who were dressed up in the traditional army-clothes used jet-engines to fly up in the air levitated about 20 yards above the ground.  
"Exactly how long will it take the matrix to cover this island?"  
"About half an hour. It is held by the water and the air, McDann sir."  
"We devised the matrix so it does not touch it's creators. Also, we can control the area we wish it to cover." said a female martian.  
"What is this island gonna look like after the matrix is done?"  
"Depends on what we want. We can leave it looking metal like this, but we can also burn it out totally."  
"Destroy this island. Burn it down to the root!" said McDann and smiled malignantly.  
"Yes McDann sir!"  
A black starling came flying and started to circulate around him causing hime to wave the arms yelling: "Go away **vermin!**"  
Frank had understood that it was game over for him once again. They had played the hide'n seek game for several years now. Now did it seem like were going to win.  
In a hope to save the island from destruction did he climb up in the tree to a spot where he became clearly visible, waved his right hand and shouted: "Hey McDann, you rotten rat! I am up here, you got me fair and square! Come and capture me if you can!"  
"Oh, I will, trust me, I will get you, Frank Streds. But first, I want you to watch your island's death struggle, thanks to our newest invention, the Matrix."  
"Sadistic creep. I wish you get a miserable death, hopefully sooner than later!"  
"Indeed, you do? It's you who will die miserably, just watch!"  
Frank clenched his theeth, filled with the old hatred. He was forced to watch how the whole innocent nature get burnt to ashes as the thing came closer and closer for every second.  
"You actually think you can scare ME with that thing? Worthless to even try."  
"There are many things a lot worse than death..." Triuc said without letting the words from the target affect his aura. "...and, I can do them all."  
"Really! I have no doubts about what you are capable and able to do, or just form in that sick mind of yours. You are still as creative as always. Doing this is great after all since it gives me lots of proof of what you have been doing, and I really don't think your little manipulated _partners_ Virekka and Zuel from Andromeda would enjoy this daring power-demonstration."  
"See, they will never find out anything about this anyway. So don't bother to even think about it dear earthlinh."  
"Well, I am not captured yet!"  
Frank smashed the shoes but nothing happened. Of course, as he has suspected the whole time: the batteries were totally outloaded.  
Triuc saw the display, raised an eyebrow and exclaimed: "**Pathetic!**"  
The human narrowed his eyes and said: "Interesting little thing there. I am just curious who you stole it from it orginally. I mean, the ARMY, creating something _useful_... It is like Plutarkians helping the mice population to get their planet that _someone_ actually **sold**, back"  
"_Shut! Up!_"  
The little conversation was making Triuc very frustrated.  
"How do you plan to make me shut up then?"  
"It's simple." Triuc replied, turned to the Matrix and said "Shut him up!"  
No response at all, the machine continued to do it work but nothing else.  
"Seems like you have some bugs in the control system. Hah! Don't make me laugh."  
In frustration Triuc turned to the mice who were levitating behind him.  
"Make the matrix shut him up already!"  
"Yes sir!" said one mouse and whispered something into the little comm that was on his hand. "Done!"  
The matrix did a big flushing movement and came over Frank in big wave, then receded.  
Frank was left with a tape-like strip of Matrix, enveloped around his hands, his feet, his body, blocking any movement. There was also a band on his mouth, preventing any talk.  
"Hmm..hngghhgh..." he tried to talk and then fell down from the tree.  
"Don't even **try it**." said Triuc in a calm voice and watched him laying on the ground. "Does the poor monkey want to be free maybe? Soldiers, take him into the ship!"  
The mice started to drag Frank Streds to the ship, then threw him into a little cell with metalwalls.  
Triuc McDann looked inside and gave him a short message: "You lay there and enjoy the time, it's your last hours."  
He left, laughing triumphantly.  
  
After a few hours landed the spaceship at the Army HQ.  
Two guards grabbed Frank Streds and dragged him out of the cell as they rabbled about how useless it was to escape and so on.  
They removed the tape from his body and his mouth, then told him to go nicely in front of them.  
McDann and genersal Carbine were waiting for him outside. The male martian shone up when Frank stepped out on the platform.  
"I hope you enjoyed your last ride!"  
"We'll see about that, you rat. This is not really over yet."  
The leader gave him a gaze darker than the endless space and told the guards to take their prisoner inside.  
"This is a rather nice place, fellows. If a rat-catcher cleaned house would it be perfect."  
"**SHUT UP YOU FUCKING EARTHLING!**" barked the first guard and smashed him in the back with the weapon so he fell to the floor.  
The 2nd guard quickly added: "No more words for you or we will kill you right on the spot!"  
Frank didn't say anything and walked towards the unknown goal as nicely as anyone. They stopped by a door, unlocked it and threw him inside, then locked the door again. It was made of some solid metal.  
Frank swore and sat down on a chair, ready to await next event. But time went by so slow and in the long run was it unbearable. He tried to activate the transporter-device in the shoes. It didn't work.  
In the next moment did keys rattle outsides and someone unlocked the door. McDann and Carbine entered.  
"Oh, how _kind_ of you to visit a man in his last hours.." he said trying to look alldepressed and beaten.  
Triuc McDann grinned at the comment but the Carbine-girl didn't move the face-expression.  
"You won't get away with all you have done." he Frank said flatly.  
"Be quiet and answer our questions and I'll promise you a quick, painless dead as a reward."  
"What if I refuse?"  
"Then...we'll kill your slowly, strech it out so it will take house."  
"That's bad. You wanna use the Matrix against me again?"  
"Pardon?" Carbine said. "But what is Matrix? I mean aside from a row-column number arrangement thing..."  
"Believe me. It's nothing of importance. It is the tool we used to capture this little creep."  
"She doesn't know about your mission? Odd, I must say. Matrix is the surname of nano-machines which converts everything they cover into silicon. You think it was important to totally destroy the little island just for the joy of it?"  
A fist hit him in the face and made him fall backwards.  
"Ouch!" Frank said. "I didn't know you could use your own hands!"  
"Not one more word! You are gonna regret this! Carbine will now give you a few questions and I really advice you to answer them...or else!" McDann said with the eyes glowing.  
He walked out of the room and shut the door very hard. Frank sat down on the chair once again and tried to stop the bloodflow from his nose. His hand was quickly covered of red blood, it dripped on the floor.  
Carbine took out a tissue and gave it to him.  
"Here, use this."  
"Thank you." he answered and quickly cleaned the hands and face while the general looked at him with compassion.  
"He destroyed the island with trees. The animals died. Everything died. He did it just for fun.." Frank mumbled lowly.  
"Who did?"  
"McDann."  
"Huhmm, really? Hm, he was not supposed to do that. The martians has the orders 'no collateral damage'."  
"You really think a guy like Triuc McDann cares about orders? He GIVES orders."  
"Well, he should if he want to retain ANY power on Mars."  
"Hah. When he got enough with control were all rules or morals out of the picture. Not necessary. Believe me on this, he is on the way towards domination of your planet."  
"Really? How?"  
"As all tyrants does he only care about power and has no compassion for anyone. Guess who sold Mars to the Plutark Government and got all the money?"  
"No, who?"  
"You really have to ask that question?" Frank snickered. "Triuc McDann, again."  
"He did it?"  
"Yes. He got all the money. It was a partly my old plan, to take over Mars. I thought to use all the information about Triuc McDann I had to gain the control. Blackmail, you know. It was so stupid of me, no one had believed me if I tried and I don't think you even believe me now, do you?"  
"I can't say that I do."  
"Why am I not surprised? I mean... A person who only has a few hours left to live would say anything to survive, wouldn't he?"  
"True."  
"Leave me then. I want to be alone in these my final moments."  
"I can't. I have to interrogate first." she said, almost sorry. "Hm...so, how DID you find out so much about us?"  
"Not your business to know."  
"Well then, make it my business."  
~Silence~  
"You seem to be frightened. "  
"Right. I know what McDann has the ability to do and I'm kind of upset because noone of you have seen how he really is. You just follow his orders without protests, but if you start to study HIM closely, you'll see..."  
"In that case, perhaps you also know that I will be in HUGE trouble if I tried to examine him?"  
"Of course I know. Why do you think I am here? I am no international threat, only a threat to that sicko. I have never hurt any person in my life. I am unable to."  
"That is why you sent everybody to that other world?"  
"All mice I threw into XZ-451 were from the army. They were sneaking around my haunt. I sent the witch and all others in there because of the same reason. They were out to get me."  
"You're saying you sent them there because you couldn't kill them?"  
"Yes. I don't think I have the right to judge between life and death. McDann and I have diffirent values."  
"So, how did you come to deciding to send them away to that place of all?"  
"That is a pretty interesting story. My first real success." He smiled a little at the memory. "When I found a way to open up holes between this world the others. Then I found this unicerse I used called it XZ-451. It's a code-name and I won't go into what it stands for, but anyway, that place was a perfect jail. You just go on living when you're there since it's somewhere between the time and the existance, so there's no time which affects. Very interesting, you can keep them forever in there and when they get out have neither of them been a second older. However, I was going to release all the prisoners from the dimension when I had found a safe place."  
"How did you teleport them into that, place?"  
"I used a beamgun. Thought several times to try to get McDann but I never got a chance."  
"Well, you would have been in WAY more trouble if you did, so I would be happy if I were you."  
"If I had gotten a chance to get rid of him wouldn't I be in here at all."  
"Why?"  
"WHO do you think has responsibility for this? WHO do you think ordered to start hunting me? Isn't it visible?"  
"Oh. So how DID you find out all of that about us?"  
"What are you willing to give me if I tell you?"  
She thought a bit and realized that he wouldn't tell more if she didn't try to help him to get out.  
"Please, you must help me, I don't want to die here. I must do some important things before I pass away. You just need to get me one thing."  
"It will ruin me if I let you out."  
"I know. If you only could give me two batteries, the size R18, 8mA, 12 Volt can I escape through the devices in my shoes."  
"I will be in trouble anyway, but alright."  
"You won't. They will never found out that you did me this favour. Get two batteries to me and I'll tell you about the army. The non-official story."  
"Hm." she said turning to the door. "You better be telling the truth."  
"Sigh, you start to sound like the Virekka-girl. I'm sick of people who don't believe me."  
"Well, you learn from hanging around people." Carbine said before she left.  
She returned twentyfive minutes later and locked the door properly after she had walked inside so no one would bust them.  
"You got the batteries?"  
"What kind of a place did you get them from on Earth? I could hardly find any in the base."  
"It is a usual kind of batteries on Earth."  
She gave him and he removed the shoes, opened the heels and replaced the old batteries while he talked.  
"McDann didn't sell Mars only because of the money. It was much because the Army wasn't strong before the wars. He wanted to gain more power and a war would give the army a more important role. So, the Plutarkians would have been defeated a long time ago if McDann hadn't been on the topchairs. He forced the system-programmers for your computerbases to build back-doors which he sold to the Plutarkians for a lot of Plutarkian gold."  
"Really??"  
"Therefore have the Plutarkians lots of knowledge about both the army and freedomfighters strategies and locations. Do you now understand why you could never defeat them? When I was young did I use that secret backdoor." He looked up at her while he tied the black shoes. "That is why the security is really bad. I got inside in five minutes."  
"I'll talk to Harley and Zip about that."  
"Useless. You would need to replace the whole system and all old programs so the backdoors are a part of it. They're everywhere. It's not possible to only reinstall some binaries. You must replace the whole kernel and all programs with new ones. McDann has documents over everything he has done if you still don't believe me. It's in a secret directory called…let me see if I remember it properly.. Oh yes; **yt44y5yy9**."  
"Give me a chance to write that down." She said and wrote down the code. "Now please go on."  
"Okay, thanks to the wars had the army's importance grown big, and therefore also McDann's influences. All of you must do something about it, before it's too late. This threat is against your whole planet, if you haven't noticed."  
"I'll have to tell them that. Now listen..." she said looking at her watch. "I have to go for a short while. Wait for some time before getting out of here, okay?"  
"I can give you a few minutes."  
She nodded, unlocked the door and left.  
After a while did Frank begin to wonder if she was away and told her superiors that he had spoken. He decided to leave immediately and activated the transposter in the shoes.  
They zapped him right into the unmaterially nothing, with the speed of a laserray.  
Carbine had been standing outside the room with her ear to the door all the time. She sighed as she heard the hissing from the teleportion process.  
"Well, Carbine, you just caused yourself alot of trouble!"  
She sighed again and ran down the hallway to tell others about that Frank Streds had managed to escape, somehow.  
Triuc McDann was in his office and read some documents about the same.  
He really didn't like what he had read, but read it anyway.  
"So, that pitiful little Frank thinks he can defeat me? But I'll show him who is in charge. Who it is who gives the orders."  
The papers could wait, he was goint to ask the general if she had gotten anything relevant out of the earthling, even if he was doubtful  
When he opened the door was she there already.  
"General Carbine, anything new?"  
"Huh?" she said turning around. "Um, what?"  
"I asked you if you got anything from him?"  
"Oh yeah, I did.."  
"And..?"  
"Um... uh...he said a whole lot of gibberish about us...you know, a man who's on a death roll would say anything to get out..."  
Triuc McDann chuckled chilly.  
"And did he say anything of importance?"  
"Not really, no..."  
"WHAT?! He **_dare_** to keep his mouth SHUT? I will make him change his mind. Right NOW!"  
McDann started to walk through the corridor and Carbine just watched him disappear.  
It just took a few seconds before an awful scream was heard. It sounded over the whole headquarters.  
"**_HE IS GONE!!!!! HE HAS ESCAPED!!!! SOLDIERS!!!!!_**"  
A lot of Martian soldiers came running brandishing their weapons.  
"**HE HAS ESCAPED! SEARCH THE WHOLE AREA!!** GENERAL!"  
She turned as she heard her name. Her fear told her to try to run away, but the common sense said "stay!". She choosed sense and tried to look as usual when she hurried up to the chief.  
Triuc looked hard at her and said, "Command the rest of the Army to get their weapons ready. We'll pay Earth a little visit again in a short while!"  
The whole Headquarters turned into a state of disarray and Carbine looked around, searching for a friend in the mass of bodies that filled the hallway. Someone she could trust.  
But no one of those persons were there.  
She wandered through the maze of passageways in the headquarters until she reached the docks.  
It had never been so empty before. The huge room was filled with all kinds of spaceships, aircrafts, bikes, sandcars and etc.  
Her gaze fell on a single attacker, she walked closer to the highly-maneuverable little ship and an idea popped in her mind.  
Since she couldn't stay (because she would most likely get killed if McDann found out that she freed Frank) she climbed Carbine into the ship and closed the window-door over her head.  
From inside the ship looked like a fighter plane of Earth, yet under that steel-like shell a very complicated and precise system worked.  
She wuickly turned on the controls and looked at the huge garage-like door, then searched for the button to open the door. She came across an interesting little switch. It was light pink, small and hidden with nothing marked on it so she switched it and waited.  
A loud roar-like sound exploded from the engine and a pinkish cloak began to surround the ship. Suddenly the ship fowed forward with a horrible power and she fell unconscious.  
  


***

  
In another part of the galaxy materialized Frank's body. He looked around in the forrest he was standing in and saw nothing more than peaceful nature, and about 400 meters away was a farm located.  
_Private Area. I better hurry to get out of here before somebody notices me.  
_He walked as fast as he could through the forrest and reached the little asphalt-road. No road signs as long as he could see so he would have to consider which direction to go after. With a sigh, he sat down in on the ditchbank and rested for a while, trying to figure out what his next move should be.  
"Excuse me, but where're you going?"  
Frank jumped up and whirled around. Behind him had an older lady appeared without his notice. She was standing a few yards from him, looking very concerned.  
"I don't know." he answered truly.  
"You don't know?"  
"Right."  
He felt ashamed because his clothes were so dirty and torn making him look like a panhandler.  
"You look like you are in some kind of trouble, because you look…troubled. Maybe I can help you?" she asked and smiled kindly. That smile was familiar, he tried to recognize but couldn't put his finger on where he'd seen it before.  
"I don't think anyone can help me...Miss...?"  
"Davidson."  
_Ah!_ _She must be Charlene's mother, or some close relative. What a coincidence!  
_"While we are talking about introductions.. Do I know you? I can recalling that I have seen you, a long time ago." she asked.  
"Yes. It **was** a long time ago.I was a student in the same classes as Charlene, during the collage-time. Frank Streds. You must have seen me on a photo or something."  
Her expression told that she knew about him and most likely about the episodes from the last time.  
"I have to go now anyway, maybe I can get a lift. Nice meeting you. Bye." he said quickly and begun to slip down the ditchside.  
"Wait!"  
He stopped and looked up at her, she was standing on the edge of the ditchbank now.  
"Frank, this is really a coincidence and it would be bad if we just parted at once. You wouldn't like to join me for a cup of coffee, would you? Telling me what has happened and how and why you ended up HERE of all places? "  
There was some reason in her argument, actually he longed for coffee. It had been a very long time since he'd been able to sit down and drink a cup in a nice company. Very long time, indeed. This was also a great chance to talk out about the earlier hardships and all that.  
"I would." He said and walked up to her, she smiled again and showed him to the house.  
  
_Two hours later…  
_They were sitting in her livingroom, drinking coffee at a snail's pace. The only pauses was when Mrs Davidson went for more coffee.  
After being lonely with all that had happened, Frank felt greatly relieved to share it with someone. He even told about his parents, told the truth that he wasn't even 100% human. His mother Sakeerni who he never had as a child and his human father who had been abducted from the beginning, but ended up with Sakeerni and (how typical) they both had fell hopeless in love. She was a human-looking creature with pale skin and bright red eyes. There were no other visible differences between her and other females from Earth.  
Sakeerni (her only name) was a princess who had been promised to marry another man of the same race, but she preferd to escape and they ended up on Mars in the beginnong of the 70s (Earth's way to count time), she gave birth to him and they moved down to Earth and lived in New Zealand for a few years until they were catched by the martians. The incensed Prince she should have married had bought their deaths from the martian chief, Mr McDann.  
And so it happened, the execution.  
"I don't know what to say. I am sorry."  
"Well, it was rough. If that Starburst hadn't spared my life I'd been as dead as them and never been able to tell the story. I've had a hard time to trust any martians since that time."  
"I can understand that."  
After the stories about his childhood, being brought up in an orphanage until he escapeed at the age of eleven and became a streetkid, he went on with eveything else. All about the times he'd been on Mars and found the laboratory, the Virekka part, then the events at Tharos and then the final in the desert outside the lab-caves.  
"I was out of my mind and when I reached that island, it finally felt like I had all the time to find myself and figure out what to do with my life. All went well until HE came back, I don't know how in the whole hell they tracked me, it can be so that they traced the magnetical particle-disturbances my tech-shoes made. Most likely…"  
He went on and told about the destruction of the island, the third travel to Mars and how he'd been able to escape from the pit.  
"...and if she didn't gave me those batteries, I had surely been stonedead by now."  
"That's such a horrible past you have." said Mrs. Davidson and shook her head. "You're really into problems, dear."  
"Yes and I've made it way worse. Tried to control free individuals, messed with those witches and etcetera. I was so STUPID, tried to gain power to satisfy my own egoistic needs!"  
A long moment of silence followed.  
"I understand that you think I'm sick." Frank said looking down at his folded hands.  
"No, not sick. You were blind but now you can see that what you did was wrong. If you accept it and never do such a thing again, no one could blame you."  
He chuckled.  
"You sound like a real mother. But anyway, I think Carbine is in danger. And so are all the others who're involved and know too much. McDann hates the freedomfighters dearly because they threat his position. Ha hates the bikermice more than anyone else because they are the biggest obstacle, me and them. That means I'll have to tell them, but do you think they would believe in my words?"  
"Hm, I think you should call my daughter and tell her."  
"She wouldn't understand since she only knows me by the person she met the last time."  
"Call her. She's a smart girl and she will understand at least that Carbine is in trouble if nothing else." Mrs. Davidson said, dialed a number and gave him the reciever.  
  
In The Last Chance Garage, the Biker Mice were listing to Rock 'n Roll and as usual. The volume was so loud that Charley almost missed the phone ringing.  
"TURN THE MUSIC DOWN GUYS!" she yelled and they did.  
"Hish!" Vinnie let out.  
"Okay, guys, you can listen to your music later? Now I have to talk to someone!"  
"Okay, okay Charley-girl." Throttle said and turned the music off.  
She scowled towards them and picked up the phone. "Yea, it's Charley."  
"__Huhm, cough hello Charlene, it's…Frank."  
It was a man's voice. Whoever it was sounded scared and nervous.  
"Frank? Frank who?" Charley asked. She had in that monent completely forgotten about the episodes with Frank last year.  
"__It's me... There are only eleven months since you saw me last time, have you already forgotten everything?"  
Now Charley realized who it was did she waved at the guys (who had started a loadmouther conversation) to be silent.  
"Frank! What do you want?"  
"__To get you to safety. You're all in great danger. The martian army is after me again and they're gonna get you in the same moment."  
"What??? Where are you??"  
"__I am at your mother's house right now. We don't have much time so listen to me carefully. Carbine is also involved and I have no idea what's going happen to her now after she helped me to get out of the prison they'd thrown me into."  
"YOU ARE AT MY MOM'S??! What trouble?? Are you sure??"  
"__I am nothing else but 120% pure sure! You must tell your friends over there to watch out for Triuc McDann. Do it NOW!"  
"Oooo-kay I will, even if I have no idea what you mean..." she said and turned to the four mice. "He, uh, says we are all in BIG trouble and that someone named...Truik...Triak..."  
"Triuc? McDann?" Throttle wondered.  
"Yeah! That's it, well, you should watch out for him."  
"Who is on the phone?" Vinnie asked.  
"Um, Frank Streds."  
"Who?"  
"You called him **Dr X**."  
"Sweetsgive me the phone! I want to tell that sucker a few things about a drink I got!"  
"__Please, don't call me anything like that again from now on. Call me Frank, because that's my name."  
"Fine, Frank then." Charley said, turned to the mice again. "He claims that Carbine's in trouble too."  
"__I am being serious! He's goin' to kill us all and he doesn't care if innocent people get killed on the way. So if some innocent human or even a kid crossed the way, he would kill without hesitation."  
"He says that McDann is going to kill us all he will not care if innocent people go too, not even children."  
"__Tell them that McDann is behind the sell out of Mars ground and it's HE who makes the war continue."  
"It's McDann who's sold Mars and makes the war go on." she said and looked at Throttle's face which kept getting more serious.  
"Let me talk to him." He said, Charley gave him the reciever.  
"Frank?" Throttle asked as he held the phone in the left hand.  
"__Correct. Are there anything you want to ask me, Mr. Throttle?"  
"How can we be sure that what you are saying is true?"  
"__I don't think you have any choice. By the way, I wouldn't like the thought of you realizing the truth when you look into the army soldier's rifles."  
"Pardon?"  
"__You'll have to trust me if you wish to survive, or else you're all finished. Then I. Charlene, her mother, your possible friends and Carbine. Triuc McDann will make sure it's properly done and nobody will ever find your bodies."  
"__And", Frank continued, "__you know as well as I do that McDann has nothing over for compassion and that means he's ready to take out anyone who is in the way. You don't want that to happen to any martian or human child, do you? You should guess that his only goal in life is unlimited power. And he's strong allies. Both Virekka and his sister are on his side."  
"Carbine? Where is she?"  
"__I think she's still on Mars but I hope I'm wrong, because if she is still there, she might be dead already. Oh yes, do you remember my XZ-451 dimension from our latest meeting? McDann wants me to tell him how to use the portal so he can use it as a prison. I think Stoker and the other of your FF fellows are the first ones he's going to throw away. The obstacles you know."  
"Since when did you start to care about FreedomFighters?"  
"__When I felt I needed to. Besides, I don't like people like McDann. And he's too dangerous to be loose. I never thought to kill anyone because I hate death more than anything else. I don't want more creatures to die. Last time our path crossed, I disappeared as you remember, ended up on a little island in the middle of the ocean. Lived a Robinson-life for a long time. Actually, I was prepared to stay there for the rest of my life but they had tracked me down and came to get me. Before they left, they destroyed the whole island to break me down properly. Not a living thing was left."  
"We'll take that later okay, where are you? We'll come pick you up so you can tell us the rest. It's not safe to talk over the phone if what you say is the truth." Throttle sighed.  
"__It's not safe anywhere. I'm at Mrs. Davidson's farm with her. Hurry up because I fear that Triuc McDann will be here soon." Frank answered and broke the connection.  
"Okay, bros, we have to go to mrs Davidson's house!" Throttle announced and jumped on his bike. Modo and Vinnie got their helmets and did the same.  
"I hope we're not out too late!" Charley said worried as they hit the road and begun the two hour long trip to her mother.   
  
_

To Be Continued...  


_


	2. Part II

Dark Secrets, Part 2

Dark Secrets, Part 2  


©1997-00Ludwig Tr. (co-writer Ylla K.)  
(This story is a continuation of "Dark Secrets, Part 1")  
  
The trip to Mrs Davidson's little farm took 1h and 35m. About 30 quicker than usual, but the bikes were on at an unusual high speed this time. Charley had a knot of ice in the stomache the whole trip and thought time went by slower than ever, what if Frank held her mother captive and everything was just a huge lie? What if it WAS true and they would find her mother and Frank dead? What if…?  
"Look there!" Vinnie's sharp boyish voice interrupt her mental activity.  
On the courtyard, someone was waiting for them. A male dressed in normal blu jeans and a shirt of flanell, with long wavy hear and dark eyes.  
"Thank heavens you are here at last! I've never thought that I would be glad to see **you**!"  
"So what'ss so important and why did you make us come to listen to you?" Vinnie didn't like Frank, it was obvious.  
"I understand your anger, Mr. Vincent. I hope you can be lenient with my earlier behaviour when I played my game."  
"_GAME?_ YOU CALL MUMMIFYING US **_A GAME_**?"  
"Call it whatever you want then. To me, it was nothing but a game. My life was a game, evertythin was a game. I wanted to stretch all limits. Or more like it, _Dr. XM_ wanted to test the limits. I can admit that I suffered from some kind of schizophrenia back then."  
"Yeah, yeah! That's what they always say to place the blame on someone else!"  
"I also understand that you don't have much confidence in me. I really do. But, you'd better listen to what I have to say, a little fable about your planet."  
"We're listening." Throttle said causally.  
"Come inside the house. I think Mrs. Davidson wants to say hi to you...and..." Frank looked nervously at the sky. "...I would feel better if we were under a roof."  
"Okay, come on."  
Throttle acted as a true leader only sometimes, so whenever he did the others listened without complaints so they followed Frank into the hallway where Mrs. Davidson met them.  
"Hi Charlene, and hi boys. Go and sit down in the living room and have your talk."  
"Joyous! I'm back in the house I grew up in and someone's gonna tell me a story! Don't I feel all grown up inside?"  
Her mother smiled and said, "I'm going to make us some food. During the time listen carefully to what Frankie has to say.", then left and disappeared into the kitchen.  
"So, what's the hot story?" Vinnie asked sarcastically.  
"If you for example want to hear about where your beloved Harley is, you'd better keep your mouth shut and cock up your ears!"  
"What loved Harley? Charley's my babe!"  
"Better ask her what she thinks about it first. Anyway... My past I hell of a mess so we'll save that for later when time is not as short as it is, but I think this needs some explanations. See, a few years ago when I was still living on Earth as a teenager was my main-hobby to supervice different computer-systems all over the world. Back then I lived in a simple little flat and had a lousy computer-job and all the illegal intrusions made life a little bit easier to bear. Once, I discovered that NASA had an open gateway from their webservers and made my way through their firewalls and finally got into a really interesting part of the network that kept contacts with satellites. I was amazed and immediately began to explore it properly. Really, it was a great thrill to have broken into their systems."  
"Yeah, right! Someone like you can't even break a straw!" Vinnie interrupted and Frank gave him a glare.  
"And your stupid comments are very disturbing, it tickles in my hands to shut that big mouth you have."  
"You can't hit the broad site of a barn, forget about me!"  
"We'll see about that. Either keep your oversized gaphole shut or I will make sure you do, plus that you won't be able to stand straight for a week when I'm finished. We have a deal?"  
"**YOU HAVEN'T BEEN STANDING STRAIGHT YOUR WHOLE LIFE!!!**"  
"Please guys STOP! No fights in here! We must hurry to go through this" Charley tried to avoid the scuffle.  
Frank gave Vinnie one last glare before he continued.  
"Alright, I had the access so I got linked up to the satellites and looked around in their databases until I all by a sudden found something very confusing. A radio-signal that was very close to the signals between routers, small packets with data which were sent out in short electric pulses. First, I just catched up the packets and checked them out. Most of them were obviously encrypted and I let three of my computers work parallelly all day and night for a few weeks to try to find the encryption-algorhitm. Finally, it looked like I had found the key so I connected myself to the satellite again and catched up the new packets with information only to reailize that they were written in english. I assumed that it was NASA whom talked to spaceships and satellites, but the texts were more complex and I began to realize that what I had discovered was some alien system. The Martian Army System. They have a wavelength where they send out their data and the satellite had probably just hooked up on it by accident.   
When I had cracked the encryption-key could I read and send data to the system, I was standing before the next big problem: how should I be able to get into it without having any idea what kind of operating system it was, possible open gates in and so on." He took a paus. "I hope you can follow because I have a habit to get too technical sometimes."  
"It's okay." Modo said before Vinnie had a chance to say anything.  
"Well, the choices I had was either to load some program to repeatly attack the login sector using different attacks. It's effective but visible. My other choice was to try to catch up incoming signals on that wavelength and see if I could find a login. Snatched up one the same day, broke into the mainframe and began to make myself at home. It was easy."  
"Huh! Beginner's luck!" said Vinnie.  
"Enough!" Frank stepped up and nailed the white mouse with his eyes. Vinnie fell down on the floor and held his head with both hands.  
"Hurts doesn't it? I told you to shut up. Understand?! _SHUT! UP!_ Okay?"  
The awful headache disappeared as fast as it had come into Vinnie's head. The mouse shot a toxic look at Frank that said _you're gonna pay for this pal!  
_"That was only a warning, I can do much worse if I wish so keep quiet and listen before you piss me off again."  
Vinnie sat down and fought an urge to strangle the man in front of him. Frank noticed it but ignored him and sat down.  
"Shall we continue now? All set?"  
"Go on." Charley was interested in the story, she wanted to hear the end.  
"Skipping all the details, let us just get to the point that McDann is behind the bad security in your networks. Unfortunally, for him, I found his private folders with his diaries and logbooks. I read them of course, it was amazing."  
"And?" Throttle asked.  
"Well...it was horrible. I can't find any better word for it. He had lists over people who were going to be assassinated or jailed, as if I had dived into some old magazine with the Schutz Staffel's lists from the 30s and 40s."  
"Uh, Schutz Staffel?"  
"Yea, SS, you know, Adolf Hitler's private elite-army."  
"Uuh, okay…" Modo looked puzzled.  
"There were also documents over his affairs with the Plutarkians. He has been selling your planet out for years and got real wealthy at the same time."  
"McDann is a big and important leader. How can we be sure that you're making it up?" Modo wondered.  
"You can't be sure. I can't prove anything as things are right now. I haven't expected you to believe this, there are very sensetive secrets."  
He took a pause before he continued.  
"Many of the documents also involved other plants such as Earth. He has planned to invade some places on this planet and gain valuable minerals, metals and similar things. Back then, as the teenage I was, it scared the hell out of me. I left without cleaning up my visit properly, that's my biggest mistake ever but I just wanted to get out of it. My nightmare begun."  
"What nightmare?" asked Charley.  
"Since I didn't clean up my traces as should could they see that someone had been sneaking into the most sensitive areas. They tracked me down. After all, I knew that McDann let the Plutarkians into the system to get all info about the FF's and army's movement, that's why you never could win the war. They were always one step before you, the only thing that prevented you from a total failure is that you're such awesome fighters.  
But I wasn't, so when they finally attacked my little lanky house, I was not prepared.  
"What happened?" asked Charley when she noticed the pause in the story.  
"It was a friday afternoon and I was alone as usual. I had a hard time to make friends as you surely can remember." He practically begged for her eye-contact and got it. "I had some pets back then, three budgies and two rabbits. My best friends. I was in the kitchen trying to make a dinner when the door exploded with a load noice. I whirled around and dropped the stuff I had in my hands at the sight of the martians who pointed their guns at me and then he came walking inside, McDann. The old butcher, with a grin that could be the grimreaper's. I recognized him immediately and he kinda recognized me too. I remember what he said…  
'So my boy, we meet again don't we? I had NO idea that it was you who was in and fingered on our secrets! Actually, I thought we just had some idiotic Earthling to deal with, how wrong one can be huh?'  
I didn't reply because I was kind of stunned. Seeing HIM after all those years was the biggest shock. I'd never thought they would be able to find me again. He went on: 'You got away last time, unbelievable, but this time you won't my boy, prepare for the fall.'  
One of the soldiers chained my hands and dragged me outside. I wondered why the others dawdled until the first flame exploded through one of the windows. The others came walking out of the house before it was covered by the flames.  
I could hear the pets scream inside, then all that was sounding was the raging fire. All I had had vanished and McDann laughed sardonic at my despair."  
He got silent, stared on the floor with a grave and tortured face-expression as he remembered the losses. Nobody said anything until he continued.  
"It was a very heavy loss, the biggest after my parents. Especially the loss of the pets. You know, when you have them for long do you develop a close relationship even if they are just animals. Their precense meant much to me and watching and hearing them die like that was the most crushing of all, I couldn't believe anyone could be so cruel towards them who had done nothing.  
What I though didn't matter to the martians who had come to get me, they dragged me down to a spaceship and left. Once again, I was a prisoner and the travel ended on your homeplanet where I was put into custody.  
It seemed like I had reached the end and there was no possible chance that I could have fleed, but I did. Since I am not really human do I possess sides normal humans don't. You got a demonstration recently. Well, I was shocked when I arrived and they put me into a cell, but when I came to my senses I got an adrenaline rush and something clicked in my head. Honestly, I can't remember what happened, all I know is that I found myself running into the desert against a safe dry death."  
"How did you survive out there?" Throttle couldn't help but wonder, even their most professional scouts couldn't stand the deserts for longer than two or maybe even three days.  
"Good question. Normally doesn't anyone survive there without water for more than one or maximum two days. But I ran into that abandoned laboratory the same day. They must have left it in hurry or else they hadn't left so much of the working things. Actually, it was pretty complete and working. Even had a rather big water-reservoir so I could go on for a few months. Also found packet food to eat. Monotonous alright but I had no choice if I wanted to live so I stuffed it into my mouth by force three times ó day."  
He made a grimace of disgust.  
"Since I have this natural talent for building things had I the fusion-generators repaired so I got electricity at last, it solved most of my other problems when I could begin to use their transporters to go back to Earth and get different things to eat, but I swore that time would I get my revenge. Times went on and the place had grown into a hi-tech lab, I discovered an interesting dimension I named XZ-451. All dimensions have names and numbers, this one was undiscovered so I had to name it so I could refer to it if needed.  
McDann was still chasing me but had no clue where I was, so he called those witch-sisters Virekka and Zuel for help, they are from the Andromeda stars. He actually won their confidence and somehow explained that I was a dangerous madman he needed to stop, that I had murdered lots of his citizens etc etc etc. I should have known that he was aware of me watching their databases, he put up false information about the witches and I did the fatal mistake to invite that Zuel for a talk about his lies. Of course, she believed I lied and got pissed off. Very badly pissed, so I got to choose between saving my life and get rid of her or let her kill me. I choosed the first and tricked her into the dimension portal.  
Then I began to blackmail Virekka and you know the rest."  
Frank leaned back and look relieved.  
"It's been taking a long time, but that's the story gentlemen."  
The mice and Charley were quiet for a moment.  
"Hm. That's an interesting story and I just hope you're telling the truth, cause if you aren't, you'll be worse than dead." said Throttle in his usual calm, thinking voice.  
"YOU can't do anything to me, so save you threats for someone else. Why do you think I'm here? Why do you think I'm here to warn you? You know too much. We all do."  
"I'm not threatening you, I'm telling you the facts. If you are wrong, Triuc McDann will kill you for spreading such horrible lies about him. If you aren't, we all are in great danger."  
"No shit Sherlock." Frank sounded scornfully for the first time. "We're deeply into it already and I am not scared it's going to get worse, only worried for my fellows' safety. He rushes over everything to get to me. Do you two remember when I disappeared last time?" He asked and looked at Charley and Throttle.  
"Yes, so?"  
"Ever wondered where I went?"  
"I did." Charley confessed, the mice looked uninterested.  
"I ended up on an island in the Indian Ocean, lived there for eleven months in peace with only animals around me. I got a chance to find myself and think, consider what to do and not to. Then, it was done again. McDann somehow found me AGAIN and though I tried to hide in the forrest was I catched like a rat." He sighed. "He also attended to show me their new destruction-machine called Matrix. It turns living coal into silicon. They used it to totally destroy the whole island I had lived on, when it was finished nothing was left. Not even a blade of grass."  
"He couldn't do that!!" Charley exclaimed, imagining deer and birds turned to silicon and killed.  
"Yes, he can! He he does it. Compassion has never existed in his world, he is the worst kind of tyrant. A real Hitler, a real Stalin whose goal is to enslave as many persons as possible and destroy all enemies."  
"Oh, my god..." Charley was unable to stand the image of death that kept appearing in front of her.  
"Now has McDann hurt me for the last time, next time I meet him he's going to die by my hand, even if it cost me my own life!" Frank's eyes flashed.  
"No! We cannot do it like that, we must be wiser than him!" Modo interposed.  
Frank looked at the grey with a horrible grin.  
"Let's see if you can stop me, when we've got him! IF we ever get to him that is."  
Mrs. Davidson entered the room and interrupted them.  
"The dinner has been finished a long time ago now. Time to come and eat!"  
"Come on." Charley said. "Mom cooked something that smells real good! We can decide all of this after we have eaten."  
Her mother had made a soup for dinner and they all sat down around the table.  
Frank sat side by side with Charley he said with a fair smile: "French onion-soup. It was a very long time ago since I ate something home-made actually."  
"Well, if you hadn't messed around in NASA's satellites had you been able to taste it sooner." Charley said.  
"I know. But then, if I hadn't broken into the systems, maybe many more mice would be dead and you wouldn't know anything about it. Remember that Triuc McDann doesn't care about if anyone dies."  
"From what I heard from you, he is a tyrannical little creep!"  
"Right. The only difference between him and Hitler is that little mustache."  
"Hm, well, can we talk about this **later**? I really wanna sink my spoon into that soup!" Vinnie pleaded.  
Frank sipped on the soup and said smiling: "Tastes excellent."  
"That's my mom!" Charley beamed proudly.  
They continued to eat in a grave silence and Charley looked at Frank who had sunk into deep thoughts.  
_I wonder if he's thinking of anything but how to destroy McDann.  
_Suddenly he raised the head, looker her into the eyes, then he looked at three mice and said: "Stupid me! I almost forgot to say, you have to forgive for my behavior last time we met. I really wish I could do something to make it undone."  
"Um, that's okay, you're forgiven." Throttle assured before anyone else could say something stupid.  
"He doesn't think so." Frank muttered and threw a glance at Vinnie  
"He will, once he understands."  
Frank snorted and was about to say something when a load bang from the front-door interrupted him.  
Six martian army-mice rushed into the kitchen, armed to the teeth.  
"Shit!"  
"**Throw all weapons to the floor!**" One of the soldiers ordered.  
"What did I tell you! I am no liar!" Frank said to them.  
"SHUT UP EARTHLING!" one mouse yelled.  
The attacking mice put some sort of energy handcuffs on the three mice, Charley and her mother.  
"Please, it's me you want to. Let the other go. They have nothing to do with this."  
"Too late, dear Frank Streds.You have to understand that I can't let them live now, when you have told them the truth. I.e. you have signed their death sentences." Triuc McDann chuckled as he entered the kitchen.  
"Oh, _SO_ bad of us to break the perfect peace in here." he said, playing said. "Naughty naughty McDann!"  
"**SO IT REALLY WAS YOU!!?**" Throttle yelled in rage.  
"Yes, who else? But does it matter to you now? You're all going to be terminated anyway. I think the back yard here is good enough for that."  
"Huh?" Charley got out.  
"Are you surprised earthling?" he said and put his hand under her chin. "Aren't you smart enough to guess that I'm going to let my soldiers shoot you, except for Streds here..." he turned to Frank. "I'll please myself this evening to burn you to death over a slow fire! Okay, time to take care of you five." he pointed at the mice bros, Charley and her mother.  
"You!!! You...!!!" Charley was so mad she was at a loss for words.  
"Yeah, like the pretty lady said, you don't deserve to exist!" Vinnie growled.  
"Aww, keep your big mouth shut for ONE time, Vincent van Wham. You have never showed too much intelligence and you couldn't do anything when Mace captured Harley and transported her to me!"  
"Harley? What did you do to her??"  
"Oh nothing. Forced her to create the Matrix, I think Mr. Elite here has told you about it. I gave her an ultimatum, work for me or an execution. She is pretty smart after all and is now one of my private scientists. Enough with the nice chit-chat. You better enjoy your last minutes in this world."  
Charley gave Frank a quick look only to see that he was staring at McDann with eyes were filled with more hate than any mortal possible could generate.  
"Oh quit it monkey! You know you can't save them!" McDann cackled but then the laugh turned into a scream when he fell to the floor holding his head. The soldiers were affected by the same thing and joined the screaming.  
Frank grabbed the remote control for the handcuffs and released the two women and three mice as fast as he could.  
"Must get out of here! I can't keep them like that for much longer!" He hissed and ran outside followed by the others.  
On the field outside stood the martians spaceship parked and opened.  
"Quick, in there!" Charley yelled pointing at the ship and they all ran up to it when another crowd of martian surprised them.  
The only choice they had was to run in the different direction. Throttle whistled loadly and soon the three bikes appeared on the hill. Modo offered Charley's mother a seat behind, Charley sat down behind Vinnie and Frank behind Throttle.  
"Let's get out of here!" Charley screamed with laserrays shooting above her head. On topspeed, the bikes rounded behind the hillsides and attacked the attackers with wonderful precision as usual.  
"We can't stay here and going back to Chicago is out of the question! They will trace the bikes whereever they go!" Frank explained when the soldiers were knocked out.  
"Yeah, I know. But where should we go?" Throttle said and turned his head, looking at him.  
"Mars, my laboratory. We all need the things we need up there. It'll be safe for a while anyway and gives us a short while to take a break. Then we could contact the witches and you could try to convince them to give us a helping hand before McDann do the same thing."  
"We CAN'T go to Mars! And we can't stay here.."  
"Why not? That's our last chance!"  
"Right!" Throttle confirmed and nodded.  
"But, Virekka is gonna kill you!" Charley let out.  
"Well, it's better that they kill me and you are safe than that I am alive and have your lives on my conscience!"  
"Don't _say_ that!" yelled Charley, who began to understand his situation. "No one deserves that!"  
"That's not really true. I can survive this too with a little piece of luck, HURRY!"  
"Okay, you're the man!" Throttle said. "Only, what are we going to do?"  
"The ship is probably empty now so we return to it and take off immediately. It will take McDann a few hours to contact Mars and get a new ship. We'll have a short time."  
"So let's do that! Only, what's Mrs. Davidson gonna do?"  
"I have no idea. No idea. She's not safe here."  
"Well, we can't take her with us!" said Charley and Frank looked at her.  
"I don't know...but maybe...maybe she could hide in your garage...or wait here until McDann and the others have left?"  
"Hm, I think we should hide her somewhere."  
"I saw a small little house in the forest over there. Some kind of old garage. Maybe that would make a good hiding place?"  
"Could be, let's try that." Throttle said.  
"We should ask HER about what she thinks." Frank commented.  
"Mom?" Charley turned to her mother.  
"Well, I'll just be in the way for you and that garage is good enough to live in, I can hide there no problems."  
"Done, then."  
They rode to the edge of the forest and Mrs. Davidson got off Modo's bike and looked at them all.  
"Okay, thank you, now go! Save the world!"  
The mice nodded and Frank was quiet.  
"Charlene." she called her daughter.  
"Huh?"  
"Take care of yourself! And take care of them..." her mother said in a loving voice.  
"What about you?"  
"Don't care about me, I'll be just fine here. Go, you have got a duty to perform."  
"I'm sorry for pulling you into this chaos, Mrs. Davidson..." Frank apologized lowly.  
"It's okay, I'll be fine." she answered and smiled weakly.  
"I hope I'll see you again."  
"Why not?" she said and started heading away.  
"We have to hurry!" Frank told Throttle. "Before McDann and the others wake up!"  
"Right! Let's go!"  
They took of to the spaceship that still looked deserted and entered.  
"All mice are gone, this is our chance!" Frank said and hurried up to the control room with Charley behind.  
"Can you fly this thing?"  
"Yes, I know. Not too hard to learn." He answered and pushed a few buttons. The spaceship's gates closed and the engines began to heat up.  
"All that remains now is to type in the right position and the currently time on Mars." He started to type on the keyboard. "There we go, all done. I also cut off all radio-signals and links from the ship so nobody will trace us. We should be on Mars in half an hour or so."  
"Are you sure it'll work?" Throttle asked, not without a little worry in his husky voice.  
"Positive."  
"Okay." Throttle said walking off.  
"Look here Charlene." Frank said and pressed the computer's keyboard. "If you wanna see some of McDann's secret documents can I load some."  
"Yes, do it. I really want to see what that creep had written."  
Her old school-friend connected to a server somewhere on Earth.  
"Just let's hope I haven't been kicked out from this one, I can't say that I own this one." He said and typed in a login but it seemed to work. "Alright, now we download the documents. Finished! Just lemme log out."  
"Alright, so what do you want to see?"  
"Can you show me some of the documents you read when you found these?"   
"Which subject? There're a lot to choose between"  
"Can you open, like, his...um, diary? Like a schedule of what he did and he's going to do?"  
"No problems, here we go. Here it is."  
Charley read the text. Line after line. The documents were very carefully written and well planned.  
"What do you say Charlene? I told you."  
"I know now, and I guess that, deep inside, I didn't believe you until they came into the house." she answered quietly.  
Frank hid his face in his hands and said: "I'm so sorry...I have done so many dumb things to you all. Why did I do them? Why, why?"  
"You did what you did, can we forget about that for some time? We have more important things to take care of."  
"You're right. You were right on the collage too Charlene...when you told me to not be so depressive, you remember that?"  
She tried to recall: "Yeah...I remember..."  
He was silent for a while a remembered old times, then said:  
"Well, it will be about 30 minutes before we reach our destination."  
"We will be ready." said Throttle, who just had entered the controlroom.  
Frank looked at Charley, looked deep into her eyes, but he couldn't keep eye contact.  
With a fast move did he turn his head away. He also saw Vinnie's look at her and sighed again.  
Vinnie didn't like what he saw and walked up to Charley.  
"Is he annoying you, babe?"  
"No, that's okay...only, **don't** call me babe because I am not!"  
Modo recognized Charley's new reaction, and he saw the look Frank gave her.  
He had a feeling that there was something going on between those two earthlings.  
"Leave her alone Vincent. Frank will not hurt her, you should understand that by now."  
"Hm, would you like to come over here and say that?" Vinnie snapped.  
"Chill out bro!" Throttle was annoyed by Vinnie's behavior. "You don't own Charley. She does whatever she wants. Stop watching her!"  
"Aaeh, shut up!"  
"Vinnie, PLEASE act like a grown ma...**mouse**!" Charley muttered.  
Frank didn't say anything. He was into very deep thoughts and it had surprised Charley if he had heard anything of the conversation.  
"Yeah, sure, hon, whatever." Vinnie said in an egoistic voice.  
Charley walked over to Frank.  
"What are you thinking? You're so quiet."  
"Um,huh, what? Well..." he answered. "I'm thinking of Carbine...I hope she's all right... But WAIT, I can check her out in the registers."  
He quickly turned around, went to the computer again and worked a few secs.  
"Okay...here we go...Ouh! This is _NOT _good!"  
"What happened?" asked Charley worried.  
"Well...it looks like she is missing...and a special warship too...hmm, that War ship contains a kind of transporter. No, not good at all."  
"That ship wouldn't happen to be named Gallean, would it?" asked Throttle.  
"I'm afraid it is"  
Throttle got a scared expression on his face.  
"What is that?" asked Charley.  
"Um, well, actually I'm one of the few people who know about it and I'm not supposed to tell..." he started, but then he saw everyone's faces and sighed.  
"It's a special kind of ship. Even Carbine doesn't know about it. I got the information by an event, I can't tell you about. Anyway, that ship has the ability...or at least they think it does. No one wants to risk their life to test it. The ability to jump into different parts of space in seconds, only it needs a mind to control it. It is not part of our technology so the teleporter, as we call it, because we don't know how it works, cannot be controlled by our technology, only combined with it. And it needs some extremely strongminded and intelligent creature to control it."  
"And you think that she's in there?" Charley asked Frank.  
"Yes." he answered. "I don't believe in accidents. Hmm...they have some settings in that machine. Here I have some codes. We can decode them in my lab, and maybe find out where she is. We'll be on Mars in about 5 minutes."  
"Great!" said Vinnie in a noncaring voice.  
Frank looked at him.  
"Are you sulking over anything Mr. Vincent?"  
"Hm, listen pal, you wanna know what it feels like to have my fist in your face?" Vinnie was getting out of control again.  
"Go ahead then muscleboy, just hit me."  
"Too inferior!"  
"Right. So you've finally decided to shut up for a while. And, may I add, don't threat me."  
"Not any more!" said Vinnie and gave Frank a hard punch so he fell to the floor.  
"That'll teach ya!"  
Frank got up from the floor quicker than anyone had expected, with the anger glowing in the eyeglobes did he run into the white mouse, grabbed him around the neck and threw Vinnie into the floor with a resounding bang.  
"The payment is reciprocated, pal!" Frank said while brushing some dust off his clothes.  
Vinnie was about to get up and attack Frank again but this time did Charley block.  
"Hey, sweetie, why are you trying to protect the scum?"  
"We do not need fights inside of the team, Vinnie, please stop. And DON'T call me 'darling'!"  
"Step aside Charlene. I will get take him on." Frank said.  
"No!" she said sternly turning to him. "No fights!"  
"Okay. I'll forgive you for this time _punk_!" Frank said to Vinnie, and his voice was now calm and cold.  
"Huh!"  
Modo and Throttle had watched the little scene and they didn't like what they saw. They knew that this could make problems in a sensitive situation. But, what could they do about it actually?  
Talking to Vinnie wouldn't help and Frank probably woldn't listen to anyone but Charley.  
She turned to him and asked gently "Are you hurt?"  
"Nah, nothing important is broken anyway."  
He gave Vinnie a quick gaze who looked as a thunder-cloud in the face.  
Charley looked at him too and thought: "_He is so jealous that he's about to explode._"  
Frank ignored Vinnie and said: "The ship is starting to take us down. We will be on the ground in half a minute."  
  


***

  
The pinkish smoke slowly dissipated into the frigid air and the ship just stood there, unmoving, perfectly landed and unharmed.  
Inside it a still form laid. It hadn't moved for as long as it was there.  
Suddenly a coughing sound filled the tiny cockpit and Carbine sat up in her seat and looked around.  
The more her eyes got used to the sudden bright light, the more what she saw felt strange and remote to her.  
She looked deep and far, but saw nothing but the bare, yellowish landscape.  
Then she tried to turn the controls back on, but they didn't listen, just remained there.  
"RRAAAWW!!!" she screamed and hit the panel as hard as she could and shattered it.  
A few seconds after she realized what she had done, a tear rolled down her face.  
She waited a few minutes and tried to calm down and grab the situation properly, then she opened the door and climbed out.  
Climbing down the ship she figured out why the ground was so level, the moment her foot touched it, the shoe melted and she started sinking.  
Immediately, she pulled her foot out, but the shoe's outer and protective layer was already gone.  
She looked down at where the ship touched the ground to see how it keeps from sinking and realized the strangest thing: the ship wasn't actually touching the surface, but levitating steadily right above it.  
While she was looking over the desert she saw something, a sudden move.  
"Carbine!"  
Carbine's jaw dropped. Virekka came flying over the desert on some sort of a strange purplish bird.  
"Dear Carbine, WHAT are you doing here?? This is Andromeda, and NOT a place for mortal creatures. How did you end up here?"  
" Virekka!! Well...it's so...I don't know how to say this. It's sooo complicated, but Frank..."  
"Frank?! **EXCY**!" Virekka's said curious. "What has he done now? "  
"No NO **NO**!" Carbine said quickly. "He hasn't done anything...but he was captured by the Martian Army...and I released him."  
"You did **_WHAT_**?"  
"Um, I...freed him..."  
"Bu...but, why?"  
"Because...I had to..."  
"Why? What happened?" asked Virekka getting off of her bird and stepping on the ship.  
"Um, he's different now. He changed somehow..." said Carbine.  
"What? What do you mean? Explain that please."  
"Well, it looks like he's really not evil. He is just a victim of Triuc McDann's evil desires."  
"Excy can NEVER be _not evil_."  
"But Virekka, you have to understand. Triuc McDann is the one who has destroyed his life. Frank is not evil."  
"Hm, okay, go on, I won't interrupt you."  
Carbine started to tell her about when Triuc came back with Frank captured. How he had hit Frank, his threat and all other things she had heard.  
"So... you know what?" said Virekka when Carbine was finished.  
"What?"  
"I think you are lying, girl."  
"What? Why WOULD I!?" Carbine said upset.  
"But, you see, your life is in my hands right now. I can push you and you will die in acid. So, be a good girl, and tell me what **_really_** happened."  
Carbine looked in the blue female creature in her eyes.  
"You REALLY think I'm lying about all this? I wonder WHY you think so. I have told you the truth and have nothing else to say. If you don't WANT me to make a lie and tell a false story which would be more comfortable to you."  
"Triuc McDann would NEVER do something like that, ya know!"  
"I'm surprised Virekka! If you saw how he treated Frank, and heard what he did with that island. You would hate him too. I can't really believe that he has manipulated YOU."  
"_NO ONE MANIPULATES ME!_" Virekka thought, but said: "Well, you weren't there, so you don't know exactly what happened. Maybe Excy is just saying that to get out of trouble, you don't know that."  
"Call him Frank instead, he does't want to be called Excy anymore. WHY did Triuc hit him when he told me about the island and that Matrix? If you saw the expression in Triuc's face, when Frank told me that, you wouldn't doubt."  
"Pardon, did you just say **MATRIX**?" Said Virekka and he face expression changed suddenly.  
"Matrix." Carbine repeated.  
"As in a mercury-like form of nano-machines that converts all matter to _silicon_?" she asked, her face looked scared.  
"Yes. That was what Frank said. Triuc used it to capture him, and then destroyed the island Frankie had escaped to."  
"Are you SURE that Triuc was the one to use it?"  
"Who else...he was the leader for that mission."  
"And do you also know where he got it?"  
"No, I don't know that. Maybe one of his private scientists created it."  
"Like who?"  
"I don't know, really. I don't know. He never told me about his scientists."  
"Any ideas?"  
"Maybe it was be the scientist Terrence, or maybe Kickstart, maybe Harley..."  
"Wait, let me see..." said Virekka and put her palm on her forehead, closing her eyes. She stayed like that for about five seconds, then opened here eyes again.  
"Nope, too great of a distance, can't see anything." she said, almost sorry.  
"You have to help me. I can't return to Mars. I don't know what this place is. I was trying to find Throttle on Earth, but ended up here instead."  
"Well, I can help you with SOME of that. First of all, this **place** is called Andromeda. Second of all, I MAY be able to help you with returning, but I have to get back here soon, so I can't help you help them." she said.  
"Virekka, I think we need your help anyway. This is bigger than you know. Frank told me about how many mice have died and dies because of McDann. You have to help us. I don't know if we can stand against his powers alone."  
"Hm, you know what? I'll have to come with you anyway to get you back, but once we get there I'll get a better look at the situation and we'll see, okay?"  
"Thanks. Maybe you're our savior again." Carbine answered. "But, how are we going to travel back to Earth?"  
"How did you get here?"  
"I guess it was the ship that transported me here. I don't know what kind of ship it is, but I went unconscious."  
Virekka thought for a while, then she got into the cabin and looked at the dead controls. She turned to Carbine. "What did you press?"  
"Um, that!" said Carbine, pointing at the switch.  
"Okay, get in." said Virekka, and Carbine got in the back seat. Virekka pushed the switch up and closed the door.  
Suddenly pink smoke appeared from nowhere, the light was blocked and Carbine fell unconscious.  
The ship shook a bit and ripped out, going at impossible speeds.  
  
_

To be continued...  


  


_


	3. Part III

Dark Secrets, Part 3

Dark Secrets, Part 3  


©1997-00Ludwig Tr. (co-writer Ylla K.)  
(This story is a continuation of "Dark Secrets, Part 1 & 2")  
  
The Martian space ship landed in a pretty small crater.  
"We are here." Frank said while he was writng down the codes he got from the computer. He typed on the keyboard and the doors opened.  
"Let's go inside, just follow me so you won't get lost."  
"Why should we? How do we know that there is no trap in there?" asked Vinnie.  
"Mr. Vincent, you have to trust me if you wish to survive this little adventure."  
"Grrrr, okay." he replied and thought _I really don't like this creep so why can't they understand?  
_"Okay, if you would prefer to stay here, good. Your choice."  
Frank walked towards a rock and opened a door which was almost invisible from the outside.  
He stepped inside and the others fallowed.  
"Welcome, enter this headquarter!" Frank said with dark humor and walked inside. "And please, close the door."  
"Yadda-yadda!" said Vinnie, closing the door.  
Frank walked fast through empty and dark corridors, bikermice and Charley had to run to match his speed.  
Suddenly he stopped before door of steel.  
"Here is the entrance, so I guess it is only to walk in."  
"Yeah, why not? It's not like there's a giant mechanical octopus in there, programmed to strangle us!" said Vinnie.  
Frank laughed derisively and pushed a button si the door opened itself.  
The sight which met them was unbelievable.  
They looked into a giant cave which was filled with strange things which worked and gave silent noises.  
Frank went into the big cave and said to them: "Stay here and don't touch anything, okay? I will be right back."  
"I wonder what kind of 'surprise' he's preparing for us right now!" said Vinnie.  
"Hm, you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover." said Charley. "Or judge the collection of stories by the first one you see."  
"Sweetheart, you are in _love_ with him?" Vinnie asked.  
"**_Vinnie!_**" Charley exclaimed.  
"Well, I just thought about your safety! He will surely hurt you, sooner or later!"  
Throttle had had enough, grabbed Vinnie's shoulder and said firmly: "**Stop it Vinnie!**"  
"Stop, it, Vinnie!" Vinnie mimicked his friend. "Shut up, will, ya? You're in no position to say anything!"  
"Excuse me, but what the hell are you talking about?"  
Frank stood just a few meters from them, and they hadn't recognized him.  
"Frank!" said Charley.  
He walked to Vinnie, grabbed him around the throat with his right hand and pushed him into the wall with a load bang, saying: "This is my last warning to you. If you don't stop this I will force you to bath naked in the acid over there." He pointed at a bassin.  
Throttle laid a hand on Frank's shoulder: "Calm down Frank! Take it easy bro."  
Frank suddenly relaxed, and the angry expression in his face disappeared as fast as it had come.  
_He called **me** bro, eh?!  
_It wasn't until now Charley and the Biker Mice recognize that Frank had changed clothes.  
He looked cleaner and more presentable like he had worked on his appearance.  
"Frank." said Charley again, and smiled at him so he understood what she meant.  
"Do I look better now Charlene?" he asked and gave her a tender smile Vinnie hated dearly.  
"Yeah, you really do." she said, still smiling.  
"You want to see what kind of science I worked with before I left? The area the Freedom Fighters found wasn't important. Here are my real laboratories."  
"Yes, I would love to. By the way Frank, what DID you work on?" asked Charley.  
"I worked with many things, one is fusion-energy. I have made a fusion reactor over there. It is the powercenter of this place. I found a way to make the fusion-reaction slower, which makes it easier to control it.  
I've worked with the gate to other dimensions. The one over there." he pointed at the far side of the lab, which they couldn't see too well. The lab was REALLY big.  
"Wow." Charley kept repeating, as she looked at all the experiments in the huge lab.  
"Hm, and what was the purpose of your experiment?" asked Modo.  
"Well, I needed a power-generator for my lab and I had to do something. I hate when I have nothing to do. My brain needs to work."  
"Hmm, that's a good reason!" said Vinnie. "The guys who invented the hydrogen bomb claimed to have the same one."  
Frank made a face and gave him an angry look.  
"I don't work with weapons, there're enough with other creatures who are taking care of it."  
"Well..." he continued as he walked and pointed at big machine. "There's the fusion reactor."  
"Wow!" said Charley. Her mechanical skills allowed her to appreciate the complexity of the machine.  
"As I told you, that machine is always working with a slow fusion-process. But I got much energy from it. And the security is very high. The chain-reaction is controlled by an advanced computer, and it's a very slow reaction, easy to control."  
"How long did it take you?"  
Frank thought for a moment, then answered: "I worked with this for many years when I studied in collage...but I never had the money or the things I needed to test it. But, let's say...about ten years."  
"Wow!" repeated Charley and turned to the guys. "You guys should learn from Frank to stick with whatever you're doing. For you, Vinnie, that would be more than five seconds."  
"Right, honey, Charley, babe, whatever you say!" Vinnie answered, then said quietly to the others: "_That's it! She loves him too._"  
Frank pretended not to hear what Vinnie said and gave Charley another smile. She replied with the same.  
When they came up to a strange machine did he stop.  
"This is..." he said proudly, "...my own transporter. It was here that I threw all the prisoners before. The special thing with it is that this transporter can reach much longer than the early transporters. The transporters the Plutarkians are using are old and bad.  
The dimension I call XZ-451 lays...5,81*10^37 light-years away.  
Do you know understand how LARGE the universe is?!"  
"We understood it a long time ago." said a voice. Everyone turned around and they saw Carbine and Virekka standing in the doorway.  
"_Virekka_?" Frank said, almost smiling. "Whatta confidence. Still mad?"  
"Hm, well, actually, that's not the number one issue at the moment. At least for you." she answered.  
Frank folded his arms and didn't answer.  
"Throttle!" said Carbine happily, and ran up to him.  
"Carbine!! Honey, are you allright?" Throttle asked and hugged her.  
"Now is everything allright" she said, kissing him.  
"Oh, so sweet." Frank smiled. "I'm glad you're all right. Without your help I would have been dead."  
Throttle released Carbine from the hug and she turned to Frank. "Well, I am glad I did it."  
Frank gave her a warm and friendly smile, but then his face went hard and cold.  
"Triuc has treated me like a creep, as a...**_PUNK!_** That's nothing anyone does twice!"  
"Frank! Stop it! Your hatred clouds up your senses!" said Charley.  
He calmed down and turned to Virekka.  
"I should have told you about everything before, but you wouldn't have believed me anyway, that's why I didn't. I used the situation in a very bad way. I'm so sorry for that."  
"Forgiven, for the situation. After that we shall decide." she answered and turned to the entire group.  
"Okay. Carbine, told me a little about this, but how about everyone brings us up to date?"  
"I don't need to say anything if you can read my thoughts, try." Frank said.  
She closed her eyes and moved her feet to a more stable position. After about 5 minutes she opened her eyes and looked at him, surprised and a little embarrassed.  
"_Sorry, I didn't trust you._" she thought, making it so he could hear her.  
"_Well...I was stupid and how would you have known?_" he answered without saying anything.  
"Okay, thank you, Frank. Now, what were the plans?" she asked out loud.  
"Well, we have to find Triuc McDann before he finds us. Very simple but not too easy."  
"Right." said Charley. "How?"  
"I don't know for the moment. I think he's still on Earth. The best thing we can do is relax.I think we'll need it."   
  


***

  
"You will all be punished for this! **Idiots**!" Triuc McDann said at the mice who had failed to capture the Biker Mice and the earthlings.  
"Sorry."  
"I'm sorry! _I'm sorry!_ They are **_ALWAYS_** sorry!!!"  
"Um, sir!" called a young female mouse from the corner.  
"**What is it?**" he answered, mad.  
"Um, I've found them."  
He walked up to her. "What?"  
She had a computer attached to her belt, on which she was typing furiously.  
"Well, the DiNAS found Throttle, Vinnie, Modo, and Carbine."  
"Dinos? What the hell does this have to do with Dinos?"  
"Not Dinos, DiNAS is a program. DNA, or DiNA Searcher. We have a catalog of all the citizen of Mars' DNAs, and we can search for them any time. This program is still in its testing state, but we know it works. The government didn't approve it yet, though."  
"Okay, so, why didn't you tell me earlier?"  
"Well, sir, legally this program and the catalog do not exist."  
"Okay, fine. So, where are they?"  
"Um." she said, searching though the data. "They are on Mars, approximately 5 miles from Olympus Mons, exact location is unavailable at the moment because of our satellite. If it were in position, it would be easily tracked down by the HST, so it has to hide."  
"HST?"  
"Hubble Space Telescope. Humans are using it to look for changes on Mars."  
"Aah." Triuc McDann laughed. "They're in his old headquarters we invaded about one year ago. Stupid of them to return to that damn place! When will the ship arrive?"  
"Um, soon." answered one of the mice.  
McDann laughed out loud while he went over the field.  
The other mice looked scared at him, but didn't dare to say anything.  
  


***

  
In the headquarters Frank was telling everyone more about his science. And he showed them the machines.  
"I'm working with cybernetics too. And the computer that works with the fusion-reactor is a simple model."  
"Cybernetics? Is that like silicon-based animals?" asked Throttle.  
"Nah, it doesn't have to be just THAT." he answered. "Robots and computers, that can make choices, and it looks like they can think for themselves."  
"Aahh...okay."  
"I'm working with advanced robots too. You have seen the film Terminator?"  
"Is there any earthling who hasn't?" asked Charley.  
"What film?" Carbine asked.  
"A film about a robot from the future who is going to kill a woman. Very interesting story. I think I have that film in my video-library here. I have collected a lot of films and music on CDs, when I didn't have anything better to do. And I have a library about my science too. I can't believe how much I worked, but a lot of my work destroyed McDann , that day six years ago."  
"Don't be sad. It's done, and it's no use to spend sorrow over that." Modo said gently.  
Suddenly Charley laid her arm around Frank's neck and said: "Can't you show us the library while we're waiting for any ideas?"  
Frank looked a little bit confused, but seemed to like to have her arms around him.  
"Of course, come with me friends."  
Vinnie looked darkly at them, but followed without protests.  
"Okay, and here I have my collection of Star Trek movies." said Frank.  
"I was always fascinated by the ideas in those movies." Charley commented.  
"Really? Me too!"  
"Okay, go on!" said Vinnie, trying to break it up.  
"Um, yes. And over there is the main Book Library. My collection is in all formats, books, tapes, CDs and word pads," said Frank.  
"Word Pads? Isn't that a really simple word-processing program?" asked Carbine.  
"Yes, but it is also what I call the computer pads that contains information, like books about Star Trek." he explained.  
"Tricorders." said Charley.  
"Nope, those were for measuring." said Frank quickly.  
The two humans looked each other in the eyes for a moment. Frank broke the gaze and walked away in deep thoughts without a word.  
They saw him disappeared behind some bookcases.  
Vinnie felt better when Frank was gone and laid his hand on Charley's shoulder.  
"Hey sweetheart! Why so quiet? What's the matter babe?"  
"Um, nothing! Why should there be something the matter?" she answered.  
"Well, it looks like **HE** makes you feel bad."  
"Um, no! Not at all!" she said immediately. "It's just that..." her voice broke off.  
"Hmmm, it looks like you're at a loss for words, babe!" Vinnie said grinning.  
"Charley?" Throttle asked gently. "What is it?"  
"Um...nothing, don't worry about it." she said abruptly and left them, wondering and a little bit worried  
She found him sitting on a couch and was in so deep thoughts that he didn't hear her when she came.  
"Frank?" she called.  
Slowly, he turned his head and looked at her.  
"Charlene. I think I wished that you would come here." he said slowly, giving her a warm smile.  
"What?" she asked when she noticed it.  
"You want to sit down?"  
She sat down on the couch next to him.  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
" I'm just a little bit annoyed, because of that Vinnie. That's all."  
"You should learn to accept him. He's mostly like that."  
Frank sighed, and looked into her green eyes. "Charlene...I think..." He tried to find the words. "...I..."  
"What?" she said, smiling at him.  
"Charlene...I think...I think I have fallen in love with you."  
"What?"  
"I think I have fallen in love with you Charlene." he said and looked seriously at her.  
"I...I don't know what to say..."  
"Sorry Charlene... I am an idiot, I should have kept my mouth shut."  
"No! You're not an idiot! Not at all! And it's a good thing that you shared your feelings with me..."  
She hugged him to make him feel better, but the truth was, she did know how she felt herself.  
"I will not be surprised if my love is unanswered. So, what are your feelings for me?"  
"Um...I don't know...I wish I did..."  
"So, what am I **interrupting**?" asked Vinnie as loud as he could.  
Frank groaned.  
"Vinnie!" said Charley mad, but was trying to hide it.  
"Well, nothing which is YOUR business. Charlene, I hope we'll get a chance to talk alone, later."  
"Thanks Vincent!" said Charley sarcastically.  
Just to annoy Vinnie laid Charley her arm around Frank and said: "Let's go Frankie."  
Vinnie could swear he was bright red and about to explode.  
"That should make him be quiet for awhile." Whispered Frank to Charley and grinned.  
They walked away together to find the others, with a very annoyed Vinnie behind.  
"Hi again. Charlene and I tried to have a little talk, until Vincent here came..." Frank said.  
"Well, you just have to get used to that annoying little personality of his." said Carbine.  
Frank gave her a smile, that one which looked so sick.  
"And don't give me that face! I DID save your life!" said Carbine.  
Frank muttered something on a strange language and gave Vinnie a dark look.  
"What does that means?" Modo asked him.  
"Um, you don't want to know!" answered Virekka plainly.  
"I wonder what Triuc McDann and his men will do next!" Frank suddenly said.  
"Hm, why not you use you psycho-science-powers to find out?" asked Virekka toxically.  
Frank snorted and was going to answer when they heard a cold voice say:  
"_What will Triuc McDann going to do next?_ You will **_soon_** find out!"  
They turned around and saw that the dark-grey mouse standing a few yards away with a kind of gun in his right hand and with 10 army-mice behind.  
They all carried heavy weapons and were ready to use them.  
"So nice to have you all collected. It will be six executions today instead of five!"  
"Don't hold you breath!" said Charley and something flew at Triuc, threw him off his balance and made him fall.  
**_"What the...?!!!"  
_**"Thank you!" said Charley, turning to Virekka who had just thrown one of the CDs at a fast speed at Triuc's legs. The CD was hurt less than McDann and laid unbroken on the floor.  
"LIGHTS OFF!" Frank suddenly yelled in a loud voice and the whole library went dark.  
Virekka heard Frank whisper: "Quick, lead us in the darkness, away from here!"  
They heard McDann swear loud and the other mice rabbled confused with each other.  
Virekka, who could see in darkness, took their hands in hers and forced them to follow her in the dark library, away from Triuc McDann and the others.  
"You're gonna PAY FOR THIS! When we get you!!" Triuc roared out in the darkness.  
"Which won't be soon!" Frank yelled loudly as answer.  
When they turned around a corner they suddenly had light.  
Frank had a little torch in his pocket and turned it on so they saw pretty well.  
"Follow me, we have to run!" Frank said quickly, and hurried into a small door.  
"LIGHTS ON!" he said and the lights turned on in the long corridor.  
They ran through it and had reached the stairs, when they heard a shot and the door blew away.  
"**Kill them ALL!**" Triuc commanded and the mice started to shoot at them. As fast as they could they ran down the stairs.  
"Where does this passage lead?" Throttle asked when they ran.  
"Down to the big caves under the lab. Be careful...all of you. There are a lot of abysses down here!"  
" Really? What were they used for?" Charley asked.  
"The caves?"  
"Yeah!"  
"I don't know if the Plutarkian scientists used these caves. Maybe they used them as warehouses? Well, they were at least empty when I arrived here for the first time."  
They heard loud voices a few hundred yards away.  
"We have to run faster!" Frank said.  
Suddenly fell Charley into an abyss with a scream and with the speed of light threw Frank himself down and grabbed Charley's hand.  
"**Frank!!!**" Charley screamed.  
"Don't be scared, just hold my hand!"  
Charley's fear showed in her face but Frank got an arm around her and pulled her up.  
"I told you this is a dangerous place. I'm happy you're all right!" he said and laid his arms around her, she was shaking.  
"You should have let her fall!" Triuc said while he was walking out from the shadows, his men behind. "That death would have been much better than the death she and you, will get now."  
"You WILL NOT hurt her!" said Frank in a mad voice.  
"And who is going to stop me? You? **Pathetic**!" replied Triuc who knew Frank hated that word more than any other in any language on any planet in the galaxy. Yet he said it, just to tease Frank.  
"_Quiet_ Triuc!" said Virekka in a cold voice.  
Triuc gave her a grin and said: "Are you surprised? I didn't think it would be so easy to fool you!"  
"Well, nobody's perfect. **Especially** not you! So, I would suggest you give up or get ready to be turned into a rat sandwich!"  
Triuc's grin turned even wider and he answered: "Don't worry, you'll not get any more chances to make a mistake! I know your weakness Virekka. I just have to shot you!" He raised his weapon, and pointed it at her.  
"Gee, I'm REAL scared!" she answered in an ignorant voice. "Immortal means unkillable and I'm immortal."  
Triuc McDann laughed at her and shot her in the chest. Virekka fell down to the ground and didn't move anymore.  
Carbine, Frank, Charley and the Biker Mice stared at her silent body.  
A feeling came up in Frank's brain, a furious feeling and stared at McDann.  
"That was the last moment for her, I hope you feel honoured to be here and share it with us."  
"The game is over for you, McDann!" Modo growled, with his eye glowing.  
Bikermice pulled up their weapons and blew the other mice' weapons away.  
Carbine, bikermice and the Army-mice started a to fight and Frank saw Triuc grab a gun which laid on the floor.  
"Let's have a fight, mouse vs. creep!" McDann said smiling.  
"I won't give you the pleasure of a fight! You will die the second after I touch you!" said Frank in a hissing voice.  
"Hm, nope, that's okay!" answered McDann simply. Without turning he motioned two army mice to attack.  
In moments Frank was pinned to the ground.  
One of the mice took out a syringe and Frank saw its blue-green contents.  
"What is that?" he asked.  
"Oh, nothing, just a little something to make sure you meet your makers."  
"With me dead you can't build a port, and you can't reach my projects in the lab..." answered Frank  
"Well, we have a few accesses up our sleeves!" Triuc said regally. "We will get to everything you spent so much of your valuable time trying to hide."  
"In your dreams." Frank answered with a sick smile. "The security-system is built in special way. No one except me, who knows the password, can access it. No backdoors, as in your sucky system!"  
"Well, guess we'll just have to get that password." said Triuc. "And you know the best part? You are not even gonna notice it. **Zuel**, please come here."  
"Yes?" sounded a young girl's voice. Everyone watched as Zuel materialized from nowhere.  
"**_You!_**" Frank said, not scared, just upset.  
"This creature has hurted your sister and those ones are with him!" Triuc pointed at the Biker Mice and Carbine, who now had failed and laid captured on the floor with Charley.  
Zuel watched them and her eyes glowed for a second.  
"I should have known about you." she said with a horrible voice, then she turned to Frank.  
"And for you....I have some things to give you. I haven't forgotten our latest meet!"  
"Zuel, don't listen to him! He's lying!" Charley tried to convince her.  
Everyone watched in awe as Zuel's eyes started to glow. Slowly they turned bright shade of her sister's skin.  
"Dr. XM here..." Triuc kicked Frank in the stomach, "has got an important code we need, can you help us to make him talk?"  
Just as slowly, she raised off the ground and moved towards Frank, looking like Banshee.  
She raised her hand and shot something purplish-blue at him.  
Whatever it was it made Franks body literally jump up from the floor.  
It a voice that would scare the living daylights out of anyone she said: "You have a two choices: confess or die."  
Frank grinned in reply.  
"I don't think Triuc here would find my death so useful. Or he would have shot me a long time ago."  
Zuel smiled a scary and evil smile in return.  
"Once you're dead it would be the easiest thing to retrieve your memories. He should have done it a long time ago, but I'm not in the mood to do it..."  
"You'll never control my thoughts...I can hide them for you, and destroy them before you can do anything! I have the power down here, it's my area."  
"You have outdated ideas on the world order." replied the girl.  
He answered with a fakely sadness in the voice: "The problems with you immortal creeps is that you don't understand others. You always thinks you knows what's best, and you always knows what's right. I'm sorry girly. But you can't control or scare me anymore."  
"How sad you don't wish to agree!" Zuel sighed and shot another fireball at him.  
He rolled away over the floor, but raised himself at once, and brushed of his clothes and said: "Better up..."  
"Stop it! Please _STOP IT!_" Charley yelled at Zuel.  
"Keep your mouth closed, if you don't have a death wish."  
"This is MY area! I know every corner around here!" Frank laughed and disappeared in to the darkness in a second.  
"Where the hell did he go?" asked Triuc frustrated.  
"Mortals can't be strong." said Zuel. "Mortals are unimportant. They are there to entertain the immortality."  
She simply snapped her fingers and Frank appeared in front of her from 'nowhere'.  
"Flesh can be tracked." she answered.  
"Good girl." he answered, smiling. "I'm really impressed, but I've some surprises you never thought existed!"  
He waved cryptically with his other hand and said slowly and smiling: "There's no use to be angry or furious. Just read my mind if you dare, and many questions will be answered."  
No one said anything, so he continued: "So sad. But I thought you wanted to read my mind, and the mind can't lie and you know that. But sadly enough, you can only read the parts I'm willing to let you read."  
"I do not wish to read your mind, mortal." Zuel said, evenly. "I also do not wish to kill you. However, unless you answer the question, I will be forced to kill you and read you mind. That will make me unhappy, and you don't want to know what unhappy Zuel looks like."  
"Lies. I never thought an immortal was afraid of reading a mortal's mind. Maybe it's you who's afraid?"  
Everyone wondered what he was doing and stared confused at Frank.  
"No, not afraid!" said Zuel in her child voice. "Too bored to do something that monotonous!"  
"Poor excuses. Only poor excuses."  
"Shut up!" Triuc roared who didn't like the discussion.  
"Why, my dear enemy? Give me some good reasons." Frank smiled. "Tell Zuel here a little bit about what you did on Earth, just because of your evil desires."  
Triuc stared at him but Frank ignored it and continued: "You felt good after killing a lot of innocent animals and destroy the flora and fauna, just for fun?"  
"You...you did what?" asked Zuel, turning to him.  
"He's lying! Don't listen to him!"  
Frank said triumphantly: "Why do you have so much sweat in your forehead Triuc, old pal? Isn't it so, that you are the liar here?"  
Slowly, not really knowing what to believe, Zuel raised her hands to her head. Pressing lightly on her forehead, right above and between the eyes, she stared at Triuc blankly. She knew that there was nothing he could do to control what part of his memory she saw.  
As the silence continued Zuel's face expression did not change. Just as slowly she put her hands down and kept staring at him.  
Triuc screamed and grabbed his head. He felt it was about to explode in enormous pain that struck it suddenly.  
"Hurts? Doesn't it?" Frank asked. "I thought you had learned to ignore that pain since we met last time."  
"Keep quiet, or you will suffer too!" said Zuel, still staring at Triuc.  
"Really?" Frank answered but went quiet.  
Zuel looked at the pathetic sight in front of her and stopped.  
Triuc shook his head, and moved backwards. His eyes looked like they burned.  
"So, you did do this, didn't you?" Zuel said.  
Triuc gasped, filled with hate: "You'll never find out!!"  
With a quick move he raised his laser and shot Zuel in her chest, as he did with her sister  
Zuel fell to the floor but Triuc couldn't do anything more, because Frank had threw himself over him.  
"The game is over, my dear enemy!" Frank growled and hit Triuc hard in the chest so he lost his breath.  
The army mice couldn't use their weapons because they could hurt their leader, so they just stared at the show.  
Bikermice and Carbine got up and knocked out four of the mice so fast that they hadn't time to react.  
"A little bit of action!" Carbine said and kicked one of the mice. "I wonder how the hell I could work with you bastards!"  
"Maybe because when you worked with them they were in top shape, unlike now!" answered Throttle and knocked out another mouse.  
Vinnie hit one mouse in the chest so that he fell to the ground with a loud thud.  
Modo pulled up one of them. "I wonder if you aren't masked RATS!" he roared and threw the mouse into a stone wall.  
Triuc tried to hit Frank, but Frank slipped away from him.  
"You are a really bad fighter, McDann! I'd better teach you some lessons!"  
At the same time tried a big mouse a to shot Carbine, but Charley went up behind him and hit him hard in the head with a weapon she had taken from the floor.  
All the army mice laid on the ground, and everyone's gaze fell on Virekka who started to move on the floor.  
"Huh..." Virekka said, slowly coming back  
Charley ran towards to her. "You okay?"  
"Huh? Yeah...I am...thanks.." she answered, getting up. She looked around and saw Zuel.  
"Triuc did it. Be she'll surely wake up soon too." Carbine said.  
Suddenly did they notice the loud screams from McDann and watched he and Frank standing at the edge of a horrible abyss. Frank's eyes flashed by hate and Triuc looked a little bit tired because he never hit Frank properly.  
"Now, dear enemy...." Frank smiled and punched Triuc hard in the neck. "...you will..." he jumped up and did a kind of round-kick so the mouse fell backwards... "**_DIE!_**"  
With a horrible scream fell Triuc McDann into the deep abyss.  
His scream faded out and the silence laid heavy over the cave.  
"How deep is that?" asked Carbine.  
"Deep enough so we never have to worry about him anymore."  
"Really? Then how come I can still hear his heart pounding?" asked Zuel.  
Frank gave her a toxic glare.  
"It'll stop soon. You can't understand how deep this abyss is?"  
Virekka listened too and suddenly she said: "No more, it's silent."  
"You feel good now that you have gotten your revenge?" Charley asked him.  
Frank didn't answer and left.  
"Yeah, he probably did!" exclaimed Vinnie.  
"Shut up!" snapped Charley.  
"Ow, come ON! You have feelings for him! You know it! He knows it! I do! Everyone else too! Just stop this I-dunno-what-you're-talking-about-look, girl!"  
Charley ignored Vinnie and walked after Frank.  
She found him soon, sitting behind a big rock and when she looked at him closer she was surprised to see that he was crying.  
"Frank?"  
He didn't answer. He had hid his face in his hands.  
"Frank, listen to me..." she said gently.  
Slowly he raised his head, his face was wet with tears.  
"Frank? Wha...what's wrong?" she asked, worried.  
"I have killed someone for the first time...and even if he deserved it twice, it still makes me feel so dirty..."  
"We all did it...and it wasn't your fault..." Charley sai put her arms around him.  
"It's okay..." she whispered.  
Frank looked her in the eyes now, they were alone, face to face  
His eyes talked to her. She saw a relief, a sorrow and a love in them.  
Their lips met and they kissed each other deeply.  
Charley laid her hands on his shoulders and he laid his arms around her waist.  
After a few seconds did they stop and looked at each other for a long time.  
"I still love you Charlene... I loved you from the year we studied in the same collage." said Frank.  
"I don't think I did then... I do now, though." she answered.  
"I'm so fascinated by your clear eyes Charlene...they're so beautiful. It is like they're mirrors for your mind."  
"Well.. hm.. thanks." Charley wasn't ready for that kind of a compliment.  
He jerked back a little and said: "I have to go, and I think you have to go too..."  
"Hm? Go? Go where?" she asked.  
"Away." he answered. "I don't know...but I can't stay with you. I have exposed you to so much danger now. It's dangerous to have me close."  
"Nonsense!"  
"And I can't live close to you, because of your friends..."  
"Where are you going?" she asked and watched him disappear in the darkness.  
"I'm leaving now. Maybe we'll meet again, maybe not. I don't want to leave, but I have to. I still love you..."  
"Wait!" she yelled listening as the sound of her own voice bounced off the walls and realizing there was no ear to catch it.  
The silence was total.  
Suddenly she heard a movement behind her and Throttle stood there and watched her silently.  
Charley sighed  
"He's gone, isn't he Charley-girl?"  
"Yeah...he is." she said and tried to smiled at him. "And it's our turn to go too."  
Throttle watched her seriously.  
"You are sad, right? You want him to stay?"  
"Yeah...I do... but there is nothing I can do. He has left."  
"Maybe he'll come back. But you're right. We have to go home now Charley."  
He started to walk to the others. They were all silent.  
"Hey guys, pack up, time to go home." she said.  
"Where is Frank?" Modo asked.  
"He's... gone."  
"I'm so sorry Charley."  
Vinnie tried to hide a smile but failed.  
"What's so funny?!" Charley asked in a cold voice and Vinnie stopped smiling at once.  
"He is gone?" asked Zuel.  
"Yes, he left before I could do anything."  
"I'm sorry and I really wish I could say that to him." said Zuel.  
"You should be!" Charley answered in an angry voice. "You have been close to killing him twice."  
"Well... Should't we leave this place now?" Virekka asked.  
They all nodded and started to walk to the door they came in from.  
Virekka moved her hand and suddenly all the army mice flew up in the air and followed them as though they were big, kind birds.  
  


***

  
The Biker Mice, Charley, Carbine, Virekka and Zuel stood in the crater the ship had landed in.  
The still unconscious mice laid on the ground.  
"I, Zuel and Carbine will take care them," said Virekka.  
"Thanks. Well honey...I think it's time to say goodbye." Throttle said to Carbine.  
They hugged for a long time.  
"I'll miss you Throttle!"  
Throttle smiled at her and followed Vinnie, Modo and Charley into the ship.  
They waved goodbye to Zuel, Virekka and Carbine and the port closed.  
Charley went quickly up to the control room, and wrote some easy commands.  
"Frank told me how to make this ship fly back to the place it came from." she explained and the ship started to move up in the air.  
They looked through the big window and saw Mars' red surface disappear.  
Charley sighed, and said: "At least, I think mom will be glad to see us again."  
  


***

  
The book was dusty and Frank blew it off.  
Professor Josefson's voice sounded without warning and he jumped by surprise.  
"Hello mr Streds, I have to introduce you to your new colleague, Mrs. Catherine Shaddack."  
Frank looked and saw a very beautiful woman standing by Josefson's left side.  
"Hello ms. Shaddack" he said smiling. They shook hands.  
"Nice to meat you Mr. Streds."  
"A pleasure, and call me Frank." answered Frank, and he smiled too.  
Mr. Josefson's eyes glittered for a second then he said behind his big mustache: "I think you two will fit good together as colleagues. Good luck now."  
When he turned away and went out had he a big happy grin in his old face. It would probably work out very good for the kids.  
Catherine turned to Frank again and said: "Okay, but maybe we can work with this later? So, let's have a dinner together, so we can get to know each other better. What do you think?"  
"A great idea." Frank answered.  
She smiled warmly and they took off to the restaurant together.  
Catherine reminded Frank of Charlene Davidson and he felt a little bit sad when he thought about her.  
But the sad feelings disappeared soon and he thought that maybe he could have a good life after all.  
  


The End  



End file.
